This is a long overdue review, but Ascend truly was the perfect way to end the Trylle novel.Note: If you haven't read Ascend yet, don't read this review.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Ascend. I had an idea of where Hocking would take the story, thanks to the blurb and title, but I was still pleasantly surprised in the end.
Ascend is where Wendy comes into her own. She's grown a lot since the beginning of the trilogy. There's a lot that occurs in Ascend. There is war. There is loss. There's love. But really, it's Wendy learning who she is - and who she wants to be.
Ascend was everything I hoped for in the conclusion to this trilogy. It felt as though each character received closure in the end. I was worried after the final scene in Vittra, that the rest of the story would be rushed given the lack of pages remaining. But that wasn't the case what-so-ever. Wendy, Loki, Finn, Tove, Willa, Matt, Rhys, Thomas and even Sara all receive some sort of closure in the end, their own happy endings.
When it comes to the love triangle, I'm actually okay with this one. To me, what Wendy felt for Finn was never anything more than a crush, even though she may have felt otherwise. With that said, Finn was a significant influence on Wendy. Had it not been for him, Wendy wouldn't have grown into the Queen the Trylle needed - the Queen she wanted to become. Sure, Loki helped her realize what she wanted, and who she was, but it was Finn that pushed her in the beginning.
The reason I'm singling out the love triangle is because I've read comments of readers being upset about the final choice. And while I understand fans being upset, after all everyone is entitled to their own opinion of which boy is the better option, I thoroughly understand Wendy's choice. Finn would have been the safe bet, yes. He would have been the easy choice. But had Wendy not fallen for Loki, the story would have been entirely different. And I think Ascend was the perfect ending to the Trylle trilogy. Wendy became the queen the Trylle needed, but most notably, she became the Queen she wished to become.
If you haven't checked out the Trylle trilogy yet, I'd suggest doing so. Hocking has crafted a truly delightful series here full of characters you'll easily fall in love with - although there will be a few you'll rightfully hate.